Point of sale might as well be called “point of no return,” because the majority of purchase decisions are made in the aisle at retail. Yet, the creative at point of sale has traditionally been weak. A fact which has led traditional ad agencies to hold their noses high in disgust. But that’s changing as agencies struggle to adapt to a tough economy and the increasingly complex multi-channel mediascape.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Hamish McLennan, chief executive of Y&R Advertising, is one traditionalist with an interest in point of sale.
“We are focusing in on shopper marketing as one of the next big growth areas in our business, after digital,” says Hamish McLennan, chief executive of Y&R Advertising.
To that end, Y&R is forming an alliance with Mars Advertising of Southfield, MI. Y&R will offer Mars’ in-store expertise to its clients, which include Colgate-Palmolive and Bacardi. The deal also will give Mars the chance to expand into overseas markets by working with many of Y&R’s 184 offices around the globe.
Y&R faces stiff competition in the in-store sector, where some of its rivals were faster to bulk up. Publicis Groupe’s Saatchi & Saatchi, for example, purchased in-store marketing firm Thompson Murray in 2004. Now named Saatchi X, the firm has 15 offices around the world and works for marketers such as Procter & Gamble, Wal-Mart Stores and PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay.
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